HealthLeaders - Big IT Spenders

: "Nick Turkal, M.D., didn't spend a day or even an hour waiting to receive a patient's emergency room medical records earlier this year. He didn't track them down by phone, fax or courier, even though they resided at a hospital some 40 miles south of his Milwaukee medical practice. Rather, Turkal quickly logged on to an electronic medical record system and reviewed the charts, tests and orders online.
Predictably, by having access to an electronic medical record system, Turkal avoided repeating expensive tests, spent more time with his patient, and provided better care. The cost of this convenience? Turkal's parent organization, Aurora Health Care, is spending close to $163 million as part of a long-term IT upgrade to make such data exchange possible. The nonprofit's goal is simple: provide a common electronic medical record and supporting data-entry devices across its 14 member hospitals and scores of clinics that serve eastern Wisconsin."